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Banks High School increases rigor with addition of weighted grading, revised honors diploma

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Tabatha Murdock, left, and Katie Lyda are both taking AP courses this semester at Banks High School. The school added a weighted GPA policy for advanced courses this year. (Laura Frazier /The Oregonian)

Both work part time jobs at sandwich shops, play sports and do community service. They choose advanced courses, keep their grades up and are planning on college.

“I definitely have a crazy life,” said Lyda, a junior.

Now, with two significant academic changes in full swing this year, there’s an added incentive for students to challenge themselves in high school instead of skating by.

Last March, the school board approved the addition of a weighted grading system and revised the honor’s diploma policy. A committee at the school researched the additions for months, with the idea of increasing rigor, encouraging more students to take tough classes and recognizing those truly at the top.

With the second semester of the year well underway, Lyda and Murdock are taking full advantage. In the long run, teachers and administrators hope more students will, too.

As a senior, Murdock is aiming to graduate with the newly established honors diploma, and Lyda is shooting for valedictorian.

Weighted Grading

The GPA and Weighted GPA policy states that students will get additional points for a grade above a D in Advanced Placement classes. In AP classes, a grade of an A will earn five points, a B will earn four points, and a C will earn three points.

In other classes, an A grade is worth four points, a B is worth three points and C is worth two points. For all classes, a D grade is worth one point and an F grade doesn’t earn any points.

The school offers five AP classes – two strands of calculus, human geography, biology and English Literature – that are considered college level. The school also offers some honors courses, but only AP courses earn extra points.

Math teacher Kevin Cliff was a part of the committee led by Principal Mark Everett that discussed the academic changes last year.

The high school is joining many others that already have weighted grading. Cliff said the committee looked at what some other high schools did, like Forest Grove High School, and tweaked it to fit Banks.

“Taking rigorous classes and being challenged is the most important thing,” he said. “The weighted grades will maybe convince a few kids.”

Aside from earning additional points, taking AP courses also introduces students to tougher material, said teacher Carol Pallett, who teaches AP Biology and was also on the committee with Cliff.

“It gives them a chance to work at the college level,” she said.

Cliff teaches AP Calculus classes and also advises the student yearbook and newspaper. He said the new grading system is a way to encourage students to try a harder class -- if they get a B in an AP course, it won’t ruin a 4.0 GPA.

“There’s that little bit of a parachute,” he said. “It’s not the grade that’s driving them. It’s the challenge and the rigor and the experience.”

Lyda is taking AP English Literature this year, her first AP class, because she wanted the academic challenge. She said the class is far more demanding, but with a greater reward. It’s also a bonus that she can start college with some course credits.

“The atmosphere during class is very bubbly and rambunctious because we’re all bouncing ideas off each other,” she said. “Then we achieve something greater, I think.”

Honors Diploma

The change to weighted grading was paired with the addition of a revised honors diploma this year. Overall, both changes means that a perfect 4.0 GPA no longer ensures a student will be valedictorian.

With the revision of the honors diploma policy, to be valedictorian or salutatorian a student will also have to complete community service hours and take AP or honors courses.

The honors diploma requirements for the 2013-2014 school year call for students to complete 40 hours of community service during high school and take two honors or AP courses. Students must have a 3.5 or higher GPA through seven semesters of school and pass state tests.

The requirements are being phased in, which Cliff said avoided eliminating some students right off the bat.

For the 2014-2015 school year, students will need 60 hours of community service and take three honors or AP courses. Students also need four credits of math and science instead of three, adding up to a total 26 credits instead of 24 for a regular diploma.

To complete community service hours, Murdock is active with the school’s leadership class and National Honor Society. President of NHS, Murdock said sophomores are now allowed to participate so they can get a jump-start on service hours for an honors diploma.

“It’s a great addition to Banks,” she said, because an honors diploma recognizes students and encourages community service.

Overall, the honors diploma means students will have to work harder to be at the top of their class, Lyda said. Last year the school had five valedictorians.

“It wasn’t as great as an achievement that it should have been,” she said. “Now I think it gives credit to those who do get a 4.0 that (take) AP courses.”